The Dead We Knew PvE Servers
PvE-only servers for THE DEAD WE KNEW are confirmed for an early patch. What the Discord announced, your no-PvP options at launch, and what is unconfirmed.
Last updated
The most-asked multiplayer question before launch was whether THE DEAD WE KNEW would let players opt out of PvP entirely. The answer, per the official Discord announcements channel: PvE-only servers are coming in an early post-launch patch — they were not in the game on day one, when servers shipped with co-op and PvP enabled.
What was announced
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PvE-only servers | Confirmed as planned | Official Discord, #announcements (launch window) |
| Timing | "An early post-launch patch" — no exact date given | Official Discord |
| Launch servers | Co-op and PvP only — no PvE toggle at launch | Official Discord; Steam page |
Note: this announcement is quoted via community-tracked sources rather than a public dev blog. We will date-stamp the patch itself the day it ships — watch the launch tracker.
Your no-PvP options right now
If you want zero hostile-player risk before the PvE patch lands:
- Play solo. The full open world, survival loop and zombie threat, with no other players in it. This is the only guaranteed PvE experience at launch.
- Play co-op with friends only. 4-player co-op on a low-population server keeps the human threat down to exactly the people you invited.
- Wait for the patch. If PvE-only servers are a make-or-break feature for you, the confirmed patch is worth waiting for — check the PvP guide for what the launch PvP environment looks like in the meantime.
Why the PvE question was so loud
Before launch, the loudest community question on the game's social channels was literally "Is there a PvE only mode?" — asked under the official promotional posts and in Steam discussion threads asking "only co-op or PvP servers too?" For a lot of survival-game players, zombie-and-weather pressure is the fun part and player hunting is the stress part. The developer's answer — PvP now, PvE-only servers soon — is a direct response to that split.
What is not confirmed
- The exact patch date for PvE-only servers — to be confirmed.
- Whether PvE servers will have separate characters from PvP ones — to be confirmed.
- How PvE-only changes base-defense priorities — presumably zombies and weather stay, humans go; we will verify in-game once the patch is live.